New Mayor Sets Goals For Windermere

WINDERMERE — Kim Barley defeated incumbent mayor Carl Patterson in an election race Barley described as close but a sign that voters were ready for a new mayor.

''A great many people were satisfied with what Carl had done,'' Barley said. ''I'm sorry he lost, but I'm glad I won.'' Barley got 177 votes to Patterson's 159.

Barley, 55, a financial consultant with Shearson-Lehman American Express, said he has already started to work out what responsibilities he wants each of the three newly elected council members to handle. Each of the four Windermere council members is given one area to oversee.

Barley said he wants to create a new area of responsibility for parks and recreation, which he wants to assign to newly elected council member Ken Stewart, who got 203 votes. He said he wants newly elected council member Gene Spears, who got 271 votes, to take over the duties as the chief financial officer. Barley said he would like to see council member John Cope, who was re-elected with 280 votes, remain in charge of buildings. He also said he would like to see council member Bill Bardoe, who was not up for election, oversee the roads.

Barley said he wants to hold each council member to his duties. ''I want each to know what's happening in his area,'' he said.

He said he plans to continue to work with Gwen Smith, who was unsuccessful in her bid to keep the council seat she was appointed to this summer. She took over the seat when Barley left to run for mayor. Barley said he and Smith plan to work on a town beautification program.

He said he has asked Town Manager John Luff to look into placing a government news bulletin board near the post office.

''We have a number of issues coming up in our town and we want to get on them as soon as possible,'' Barley said. ''We've got some challenges to meet.''

Patterson, who had served two terms as mayor, said he has no plans to run for that office again. But, he said Wednesday, ''Two years from now I may change my mind.''